Top breeders prove their pedigree
ANorth Taranaki couple who breed pedigree holstein-friesian cattle have won the prestigious Valden Cow of the Year for the fourth time since the award’s inauguration five years ago.
Tikorangi sharemilkers Wayne and Leeanne Taylor won the award for 12-year-old Muritai Pierre Wanetta-ET VG87 SP, culled from their 200-cow herd last season after she failed to get in-calf.
‘‘In times like these, there’s no room for passengers,’’ Wayne Taylor said.
The cow contracted facial eczema as a two-year-old and was subsequently milked on only three teats because the disease left one sealed.
Her best production was as a seven-year-old when she yielded 8915 litres of milk, 337 kilograms of protein and 414kg of fat, in 274 days. In her nine lactations, she produced 6034 kilograms milksolids (kgMS) and 69,070 litres of milk.
Pierre Wanetta was the sister of Muritai Talent Wattle-ET EX2 SP which won the 2015 Valden Cow of the Year and daughter of the 2012 inaugural winner, Muritai Dalton Wattle 17*ET SP.
Her son, Muritai Ovation Weepu, has daughters which will begin milking this season. Two other sons, Muritai App Whistler S3F and Rangeview B Worthy S3F, are LIC proven bulls.
This year’s line-up of six Valden Cow of the Year finalists included another of the Taylors’ cows.
Muritai Obsession Wattle VG86 SP, a sister of Pierre Wanetta and Talent Wattle, was a finalist for the second year in succession. Her best production was 8236 litres, 297kg protein and 436kg fat in 305 days as a nine-year-old.
The 2013 winner, Muritai Leader Willow EX4 4*ET SP, also belonged to the Taylors and was a cousin of Talent Wattle and Pierre Wanetta. All four of the Taylors’ Valden Cow of the Year winners have offspring in their herd.
‘‘It’s quite an achievement from one cow family,’’ Wayne Taylor said. ‘‘We’re just fortunate to have this gene pool.’’
His interest in breeding stems from childhood visits to the Awatuna farm of his aunt and uncle, Cathryn and Allan Phillips, who owned the Koramo friesian stud.
He learned his skills from watching other breeders and asking questions as he sought to develop an eye for good dairy conformation and good udders.
In 1985 Wayne and Leeanne Taylor established their Muritai stud, which they named after a farm they worked on at Pukearuhe in North Taranaki. Muritai is a Maori word meaning sea breeze.
The Taylors’ herd consists of predominantly pedigree friesians and a few pedigree jerseys which they milk on 68 effective hectares.
They achieved production of 1050 kilograms/hectare milksolids last season. The wet 2015 spring made for a slow start and at one stage production was 15 per cent behind the previous season. But good conditions in late summer and autumn evened out the season which finished 3-4 per cent behind 2014-15.
Last season the farm received 2800mm of rain, half of which fell between June and September. Average rainfall is 2m. This season they’re focused on keeping costs down without compromising their herd’s future.
The only other Valden Cow of the Year winners are Levin farmers Robin and Sheryl Faulkner who won the award for Melan Leduc Rowena EX2 in 2014.
Valden Cow of the Year is awarded to a cow that has completed at least four lactations and has contributed to or is deemed to have the potential to contribute to the holstein friesian breed.
The winner is automatically calculated from points for production worth (PW), protein breeding value, in-milk daughters that have improved PW, the number of lactations, classification, Holstein Friesian New Zealand Star Brood and Superior Production awards, daughter-proven sons marketed by a breeding company and North Island, South Island, Royal Show and NZ Dairy Event show championships.